A Look Back at 2021 Social Media Trends

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By
Emiley Sexton Crawley

It’s no secret that social media is the key to engaging with your audience. From the takeover of TikTok to social media shopping, we take a look back at all the game-changing trends that took over our screens in 2021. 

TikTok Takeover

The platform changed the way we use social media during the early stages of COVID-19 and quarantine. A great place to get lost for eight hours of your day flipping through educational, inspirational and comical content. The stereotype of TikTok existing solely for teenagers to learn dances is a thing of the past. There are thousands of communities, or rather, “sides of TikTok” that can range from Swifties, recipes, brand advertisements, horoscope readings, dog/cat fans, free therapy, and so much more. 

Video Content Across All Platforms (Facebook, REELS) 

It’s no secret that Facebook (or should we say, META)  likes to keep up with the Joneses. If you’re seeing it somewhere else, you’ll more than likely see it on Facebook or Instagram eventually. For those who don’t frequent TikTok, this is a great alternative, and you can easily find yourself scrolling through for hours on end. 

Swipe Up

Everyone can link in stories now! You no longer need 10,000 followers to feature website links on your Instagram stories. Sorry to everyone who worked so hard to surpass 10K followers, but this is great for us commoners. With this feature, everyone is able to share links to recent purchases, informing videos or websites, all without the requirement of being an influencer.

Shopping Via Social Media (IG Shop) 

Or as I like to call it, it’s more like a social catalog. Are users buying directly in the Instagram Shop? Probably only a few. But it is fun to scroll through product listings on a brands page and see tagged images of the product you want to buy, all in one place! 

Augmented Reality Experiences 

Teen Vogue tried doing virtual makeup, and interior designers tried staging a home virtually. Instagram is really stepping up their filter game with these experiences. Whether you need a filter to hide your puffy morning eyes, or tell you what Disney villain you are, Instagram has you covered.

With the way social media is growing and adapting, these trends may be a thing of the past by this time next year. Or hopefully, like many of us, better versions of what they currently are. Cheers to 2021 and everything it brought us in the social realm!